Tear-jerking love songs: classic and popular hits from Japanese music

Unfit to be a loverKoresawa

Koresawa “Unqualified as a Lover” [Music Video]

A breakup ballad from a male perspective that portrays the anguish and regret of the one who said goodbye.

It’s a self-cover sung from the viewpoint of the man who leaves the room in Koresawa’s signature song “Tabako.” Released as a digital single in June 2019, it was later included on the concept mini-album “Heartbreak Scrap” in January 2020.

Originally written for Miyuhan, the track drew attention with its music video featuring Ryusei Yokohama.

The song movingly captures the conflict of a man who ends the relationship precisely because he loves her, blaming not her but his own shortcomings.

Listening to it alongside “Tabako” deepens your understanding of the couple’s emotional misalignment.

Highly recommended for anyone who’s experienced the end of a cherished relationship or carries guilt over having hurt someone they love.

I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci

wacci “I Became Someone Else’s Girlfriend” Music Video

A song that captures the complex feelings of a woman telling her ex that she’s found a new partner.

Her current boyfriend is mature, kind, and makes her feel safe, yet she can’t help but remember how naturally she could be herself around her ex—the song carefully portrays that inner conflict.

Written by wacci’s vocalist Yohei Hashiguchi after hearing a story from a female friend, the track was released digitally in 2018.

Its popularity spread by word of mouth, and by 2021 it had surpassed 100 million total streams.

Recommended for anyone who wants to treasure their current relationship but can’t quite let go of lingering feelings for an ex.

Song of LoveKōda Kumi

Kumi Koda - 'Ai no Uta (album version)' ~ 20th Year Special Full Ver. ~

Released in September 2007 as her 37th single, this work is a deeply resonant ballad in which Kumi Koda sings from a new perspective she realized through giving love advice to friends and fans: “love is something you give.” She found inspiration while driving along the coast on a getaway to a hot spring inn, and wrote the lyrics immediately upon arrival.

They delicately portray a young woman’s aching heart as she senses a breakup approaching yet tries to convey unwavering love.

The song was featured in the MTI “music.jp” commercial and served as a support song for Fuji TV’s World Judo 2007.

Composed entirely of Kumi Koda’s vocals without any backing chorus, it centers on mid-to-low registers, making it easy to sing even for those who struggle with high notes, and it’s a track anyone who has experienced the end of a romance can relate to.

Love PhotosOtsuka Ai

Ai Otsuka / Love Photograph

Ai Otsuka’s 13th single, released in 2006.

Chosen as the theme song for the film “Heavenly Forest” (Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru), this piece is a poignant love song that expresses pure feelings for a past lover.

It’s a piano- and string-driven ballad in which the melody leaps in the chorus as if pouring out pent-up emotion, stirring a heart-wrenching sensation.

There’s even an anecdote that the song influenced the film’s title, which speaks to the power of its words.

The feeling of still loving someone after a breakup, and the inability to forget the happy moments locked in memory, is something many of us have experienced at least once.

It’s a song that brings tears with its pure, heartfelt longing for the one you love.

Love SongGReeeeN

GReeeeN – Love Song

It’s GReeeeN’s third single, released in 2007, but in 2015 their sister group whiteeeen covered it as “Ai Uta ~since 2007~,” which became the theme song for the film Strobe Edge.

It’s a love song whose straightforward lyrics strike a chord.

Tokyokururi

Quruli – Tokyo

Many artists have written songs with “Tokyo” as their theme, but Quruli’s “Tokyo” is unquestionably a masterpiece among them.

It’s astonishing that this masterpiece is also Quruli’s debut single, but in any case, it’s the ultimate “Tokyo.” For those who moved to the capital from other regions—a major life event—it’s a song guaranteed to bring tears.

I’m sorryfukurouzu

Fukurouzu “Gomen ne”

This is the lead track from Fukurouzu’s second album, “Gomen ne.” The lyrics are full of lines that really hit home, making it a love song you can’t help but hum along to.

It’s a track I’d recommend to anyone new to Fukurouzu.

Mari Uchida’s vocals have a floating, translucent quality that becomes addictive after just one listen.